In political science, legitimacy is
the right and acceptance of an authority
, usually a governing law or a regime. Whereas authority denotes a specific position in an established government, the term legitimacy denotes a system of government—wherein government denotes “sphere of influence”.
What is the concept of legitimacy?
Legitimacy is commonly defined in political science and sociology as
the belief that a rule, institution, or leader has the right to govern
. … Actors and institutions constantly work to legitimize their power, and challengers work to delegitimate it.
Power is an entity’s or individual’s ability to control or direct others, while
authority is influence that is predicated on perceived legitimacy
. Consequently, power is necessary for authority, but it is possible to have power without authority. In other words, power is necessary but not sufficient for authority.
2 Legitimacy
A legitimate authority is
one which is entitled to have its decisions and rules accepted and followed by others
. In the case of law, people feel a personal responsibility to comply voluntarily with those laws that are created and enforced by legitimate legal authorities.
Authority is
the right of an individual to act on behalf of the government
, while legitimacy is the right of the government to act on behalf of society.
How does power operate in society?
Power is exercised by states
— through military and police
, through agencies and bureaucracies, through legislation; it is exercised by corporations and other large private organizations; and it is exercised by social movements and other groups within society.
Basis for Comparison Power Authority Meaning Power means the ability or potential of an individual to influence others and control their actions. The legal and formal right to give orders and commands, and take decisions is known as an Authority.
What is the importance of legitimacy?
Legitimacy is important
for the achievement of development in a legitimate government
. Legitimacy itself is public acceptance and recognition of moral rights leaders to govern, create and implement political decisions.
What is the principle of legitimacy?
When people in authority want a collective group to conform, it matters first and foremost how they behave
. This is called the “principle of legitimacy”.
Who gave the concept of legitimacy?
In the modern age it was
Max Weber
to first enunciate the concept of ‘legitimacy’ as a universal concept. According to him, legitimacy is based in ‘belief’ and gets obedience from the people.
The three attributes of authority have been described as status, specialist skills or knowledge, and social position. Children consider the type of command, the characteristics of the authority figure, and the social context when making authority conclusions.
Legitimacy is the answer to the question: “What gives them the right to do that?”. … But
legitimacy is necessary not only for political authority
. Global business can operate successfully only by persuading a sceptical public of its legitimacy.
His three types of authority are
traditional authority, charismatic authority and legal-rational authority
(Weber 1922).
What is an example of legitimacy?
Legitimacy is defined as the lawfulness or authenticity of something, or refers to the status of a child being born to married parents. …
When a child is born to a mother and father who are married
, this is an example of legitimacy.
What is legitimate power?
Legitimate power –
The authority granted to someone stemming from a position in a group or organization
. Legitimate power stems from an authority’s legitimate right to require and demand compliance. Legitimate power stems from a leader’s formal authority over activities.
What does legitimacy mean in government?
Legitimacy,
popular acceptance of a government, political regime, or system of governance
. The word legitimacy can be interpreted in either a normative way or a “positive” (see positivism) way. The first meaning refers to political philosophy and deals with questions such as: What are the right sources of legitimacy?
